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Thread | The Final Countdown - Matchday #44
at 16:22 19 Apr 2025
Well, here we go, after a poor performance against Crewe, and definitely a missed opportunity to gain all three points with the Penalty that Time (and players) Forgot, we still find ourselves back in control of our own destiny – it’s in our hands! If the U’s were poor, spare a thought for lacklustre Crewe, who despite still having a chance of the play-offs, just didn’t seem to want to turn up (a bit like their fans, where were they all?). Three attempts on goal, just one on target and only 38% possession – yes they worked very hard to keep us out, but up front they didn’t seem to want to even bother.
It was impossible to see the red card incident from my vantage point in S2, but fortunately much less so for the 4th official right in front of it. Watching the highlights in slo-mo, Flanagan clearly wins the ball, and in the ensuing tumble Lunt for reasons unknown clearly kicks out, literally leaving stud marks on Tom’s midriff (as he was showing to anyone who cared to look). When the 4th official calls the referee over about something he’s seen, you know you might as well start walking down the tunnel. As for the penalty, yes it was a poor effort, but penalties do get saved, these things do happen – Read could have blasted it towards the bottom corner and pantomime villain Marschall could still have saved it. I’m more interested in the actual decision. Credit to Samson for not giving up on the byline, and as goes past the falling Knight-Lebel the ball definitely hits his arm, but more ball to hand if I’m honest. However, and this is the moment, I’m convinced the referee’s decision-making was swayed by the universal roar of “HANDBALL!” from the South Stand. However, the goal wasn’t to be…
Image: Steve Brading
And so on to Matchday #44, and in a special mini-series of as yet indeterminate length, time to review the games of those still in with a half-decent chance of making the play-offs. When I say decent chance, I’m going to include 11th place Crewe, even if they looked like they were already on the beach yesterday (pun intended). Mathematically, I could go done as far as Swindon and Bromley, but with only three games to go they’ve almost certainly got too much to do, even if the former under Ian Holloway are going like a train at the moment – expect them to be up there next season.
Port Vale v Grimsby - Easily the hardest fixture any of the play-off hopefuls are facing on Easter Monday, this will be on the back of an unexpected 4-0 battering at home to the aforementioned Robins. Reading the The New Fishy post-match comments, it would appear that Grimsby were as poor as Swindon were good. They’ll be smarting about that, possibly more so than the 2-0 lead they gave up at the same time as we were banging in two at Newport, and you must assume David Artell will demand a reaction.
Trouble is, they visit a Port Vale side who will be smarting just as much and determined to get back to winning ways to stay on course for the title. Bad enough to concede three at relegation-threatened Carlisle (who are in really good form at the moment), but having pulled two back in the second half, the Valiants had their own injury time penalty to snatch a point. Tolaj struck it well, albeit at a good height for ‘keeper Breeze, who guessed the right way and pulled off an excellent save.
As I see it, Port Vale are in a four-horse race for both automatic promotion and the title, with Doncaster Rovers (more later), Bradford City and Walsall. I’m being charitable here, Walsall are in complete disarray and any talk of Matt Sadler being voted Manager of the Season (yes, he’s been nominated) is farcical. Forecast: Port Vale 3 Grimsby 0
Chesterfield v Bradford City – After a drab 0-0 at Plough Lane, which didn’t help either side that much, Chesterfield are three points outside the play-offs with the best goal difference of those in the chase. It’s also worth noting that Chesterfield didn’t register a single effort on target to trouble former U’s Owen Goodman. Although they were playing better quality opposition, this has to go down as two dropped points for the Spireites, but at least they didn’t miss a penalty in the process.
On Monday they face a Bradford City who will want to bounce back from dropping two points at home to Notts County last Thursday (although I thought County were the better side tbh). This will be a tough game for both sides – the ProAct will be packed to the rafters with Bradford City filling their end (and probably could three times over if the tickets were available) – and the tension may well be a factor. Who will be up for it? It should be Bradford City, after being starved of promotion for so long, but it will be close. Forecast: Chesterfield 1 Bradford City 2
Morecambe v Salford City – Four points adrift and an inferior goal difference must surely mean any lingering play-off hopes for the ‘Ammies will hinge on how they will perform on Easter Monday. Fortunately for them, they visit near relegation certainties Morecambe – eight points from safety and three games to go, Morecambe could win all three and still be relegated.
However, unfortunately for Salford, we can’t overlook they lost 2-1 at home yesterday to another of the relegation candidates, Accrington Stanley – their consolation goal coming from an Adelakun penalty – hey, at least he scored it I suppose. If nothing else, after a six game unbeaten run, it demonstrates that propensity for Salford to shoot themselves in the foot occasionally. How will they fare on Monday? It probably depends on which Morecambe turn up, the go down fighting never say die Morecambe, or the f’ck it, we’re doomed so let’s just get this over with. Forecast: Morecambe 1 Salford 2
Crewe Alexandra v Milton Keynes Dons – Honestly, after the lack of self-belief on display yesterday from both their team and their (largely absent) supporters, still including Crewe in the play-off mix seems fraudulent. However, position-wise they are near identical to Salford, only separated by goals scored, and a bit like the U’s, quite a hard team to beat. I think they’re done already, but anything less than a win on Easter Monday will confirm they stay in League Two next season.
Obviously we know about their game on Good Friday, but on Easter Monday they take on an MK Dons side who just wish the season would end now. There’s no chance the franchise will be at risk of relegation, and after four defeats on the bounce, under new manager Paul Warne they’ll be buoyed by a drab 0-0 stalemate at home to Newport. An experienced manager at this level, I think Warne will instil enough self-belief in his team to take all three points at Gresty Road. Forecast: Crewe Alexandra 1 MK Dons 2
And that just leaves…
Doncaster Rovers v Colchester United – It’s a close call who has the harder fixture on Easter Monday, and I’ve gone for Grimsby on the back of their 4-0 drubbing, but in truth this will be a really tough game for the U’s as well. With Taylor out for the remainder of the season and no news (that I’m aware of) on Harry Anderson, we find ourselves sweating on positive news about Jack Payne. We certainly missed his creativity in the middle of the park yesterday. The good news was seeing Teddy Bishop back on the pitch, and JK Gordon did well replacing Oscar Thorn.
Doncaster are another in the chase for the title and/or automatic promotion and were virtually the only team in the top half of the table to take all three points on Saturday. In style too, brushing aside Tranmere Rovers with a Luke Molyneux hat-trick at Prenton Park. After two draws on the bounce, they now have the top of the table in their sights and a chance to put right what they got so horribly wrong in last season’s play-offs.
In our favour, apart from the 1,000+ who will travel to the Eco-Power Stadium, we do tend to play better against better sides, we have a resilient defence that is clicking really well, and of course we have Mr Clean Sheet Matt Macey between the sticks. I think we have enough about ourselves to prevent Doncaster from scoring, just do we have enough of the right sort of walking wounded to do anything at the other end? Forecast: not a chance I’m jinxing this
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Thread | Salford v Donny tonight
at 11:43 15 Apr 2025
Realistically, Donny are more or less off our radar now, we're really focused on chasing down Grimsby and perhaps Notts County, so I'm perfectly happy for them to put an end to Saltyfords lingering faint play-off hopes tonight. Considering the lead they had at one point, it's remarkable that a Doncaster win will see Walsall drop out of the automatic promotion places. |
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Thread | Average attendance
at 17:49 14 Apr 2025
First covered on the OMB, but we are in striking distance of reaching a home league attendance average of 5,000 this season. Our total home attendance for the 21 games so far is 99,819, so we are 15,181 short of the target 115,000 (23 x 5,000), or 7,591 on average over the last two games.
It's certainly doable, but probably hinging on the level of away support, or whether Robbie allocates some of the North Stand to home supporters if there's demand for the Barrow game. I think one of the issues for the North Stand share idea is there isn't a means to segregate the concourse under the stand. I don't know, I've never been in the North Stand?
Crewe is selling well at the moment, E4-E8 approaching a sell-out, S1 and S2 sold out, S3 and S4 close to sold out, as are W3, 4 and 6.
Technically, there is another way to reach a home average of 5,000, but that would require a 24th home game. The good news is that in that scenario, our required average over three home league games actually drops to 6,727 per match 
Edit: Crewe, not Donny [Post edited 14 Apr 18:18]
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Thread | U's to starve the Gills of oxygen
at 18:52 1 Apr 2025
My attempt at a Durham-esque thread title.
Line-up.
Macey
Iandolo
Kelleher
Flanagan
Payne
Read
Simpson
Egbo
Edwards
Tucker
Thorn
Still no Samson, Taylor starts on the bench.
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Thread | Saturday's results
at 17:09 29 Mar 2025
All in all, an okay set of results if I'm honest. Notts County and Donny won, Walsall, Bradford and AFC Wimbledon all drew and Crewe lost to keep us in 8th place with a marginally superior goal difference. Salford, Chesterfield and Fleetwood refuse to give up on their fading hopes, and all won. Salford have a game in hand, which might add to the significance of our trip there at the end of April. |
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Thread | U's v Grimsby thread
at 21:06 26 Mar 2025
Apologies Durham for the preemptive strike, but this really needs to be broadcasted as soon as possible. With still two days to go, the South Stand is completely sold out, and E5 through to E8, and W3 and W4 as well, are already close to a sell-out. If you haven't got your ticket, book as soon as possible!
Incredible support already, and with Grimsby reportedly bringing in the region of 500+ (according to their predictions) it looks like it's going to be a bumper crowd for the Friday night game.
Our best ever at the JobServe for a Friday night league game was 5,461 for John McGreal's March 2018 2-1 win over Luton Town. We look like we'll be challenging that on Friday. |
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Thread | Friday night trivia time
at 19:03 21 Mar 2025
If the reported ticket sales for tomorrow are correct (at least 21k, possibly more than 22k), it's pretty much a nailed-on certainty tomorrow will be the biggest Tier 4 attendance we've ever played in front of. So, some topical questions to ponder over whilst watching England v Albania.
Q1 - name the four opponents that are currently ranked 1-4 in our attendance stats. One point for each, and a bonus point if you get them in the right order.
Q2 - name the opponent for our lowest Tier 4 attendance (not including the Covid lockdown matches).
Q3 - name the UK side that holds the record for a Tier 4 attendance. Bonus point for naming their opponent. |
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Thread | Next weekend
at 12:09 17 Mar 2025
A bold decision by Mat Sadler not to take the easy and to be honest justifiable decision to postpone Walsall's game next Saturday at Gillingham, with three first team regulars away on international duty. He will no doubt be relying on the U's to do them a massive favour.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cn048nx077ro
Valley Parade should be a 20,000+ crowd on Saturday with their 'all tickets £5 in advance' offer, even if at least 15,000 of those are already season ticket holders who don't get any benefit from the deal. Anyone know how many tickets we've sold? |
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